the Sabbath was made for man

Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." -Mark 2:27

I read this verse a few days ago and I can't seem to get it out of my thought processes. The overwhelming feeling hasn't subsided. However, I was sitting at home Friday afternoon, and thinking over my morning. With the help of my brother and his girlfriend, we moved my dresser and futon, dresser drawers and all my bookshelves to a shed at my parents. My current home is becoming more empty, and yet there still seems to be a lot there! So as I sat on my bed, looking around my room, and I couldn't find anything to accomplish! Frustrating. Soon after I had to leave and now I'm away for the weekend, house sitting. Being away from the craziness has been nice and I have caught myself a few times thinking I should be doing something right now, and yet, at another house, have nothing to do. With nothing to do, I can finally sit down and actually process this verse. 

The Pharisees see Jesus and his disciples walking through the grainfields and picking heads of grain. The Pharisees question Jesus regarding them "working" on the Sabbath. After an explanation regarding David eating the consecrated bread from the house of God, Jesus says these words to them, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. In Genesis 1, we learn about how God created the heavens and earth, land, moon and stars, animals, and us. Genesis 2:2 says By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. verse 3: Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. God worked, he created everything, and then he rested. He has given each of us tasks to accomplish, but then he also has set aside time for "rest". The Pharisees of the day had taken this law to mean nothing could be done on the Sabbath. Jesus knew what rest was, and therefore created Sabbath for man to rest.

As the Pharisees got sucked into the laws, they had forgotten that God created the Sabbath for them, not them for the Sabbath. God created me, and gave me a day of rest, to refuel myself in Him and in physical rest, so that I can better serve Him. So these moments of sitting, having nothing to do, it's forced rest. But a good lesson can come out of it. As busy as my schedule is in the next few weeks, and I'm sure not any better in the coming months, I still must find time for a Sabbath rest. 

But what does that look like for me? I have a lot to get done, but I need rest. Both to keep my physical body healthy but also my spiritual soul intact. One of the most relaxing things for me to do is read my Bible and ponder God's word. I also enjoy quiet moments of prayer. And my favorite place to do this is the beach, actually anywhere in nature. And all this can be accomplished by running, even though it takes energy, because  it allows me to enjoy nature, supports a healthy lifestyle, and I get to do a lot of thinking and praying. To me, running can be restful. So tomorrow, or maybe Monday, I might just have to get back into a routine of exercise...actually I'm looking forward to it already!